One in 3 Korean adults overweight or obese: report

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- One out of every three adults in South Korea is
considered overweight or obese and faces increased risk of health problems, a
report showed on Friday.
According to the report submitted by the National Health Insurance Corp., 3.24
million, or 32.8 percent, out of 9.87 million adults who had regular checkups
last year were overweight or obese.
The report said those categorized as overweight or obese had body mass index
(BMI) measurements of 25 or higher. BMI measures an individuals height to
determine ideal body weight.
A person whose BMI reading is from 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight.
According to the report, the ratio of South Korean adults with BMI readings of 25
or higher stood at 24.1 percent in 2007.
The number of adults with BMI readings of 40 or higher, which indicates excess
body fat, was 23,613 last year, compared with 7,020 in 2007 and 7,957 in 2006, it
showed.
In line with increased obesity, chronic diseases such as heart disease, high
blood pressure and stroke were also on the rise, the corporation said.
sam@yna.co.kr
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